Goat Milk

1) Humboldt Fog

Humboldt Fog is an American cheese produced in Arcata, California. The cheese is made with goat’s milk and has a paper-thin bloomy rind. Inside, there is a semi-soft body with a creamy, smooth, and slightly runny texture, due to the fact that Humboldt Fog ripens from the outside to the centre.

The cheese is distinguished by a layer of edible ash on the interior, which is actually a nod to the French Morbier cheese. The aromas of this cheese are pungent and floral, while the flavors are citrusy, tangy, and slightly lemony. It is recommended to drizzle it with honey and serve it with almonds, tart apples, or prosciutto.

2) Goat Gouda

Goat Gouda is an American semi-hard cheese produced in California. This Gouda-style cheese is made from pasteurized goat’s milk and cream. The rind is natural, and the texture is dense, firm, and smooth, sometimes slightly grainy. The aroma is sweet and the flavors are caramel-like, milky, and nutty.

Goat Gouda ages for about 5 months before it’s ready for consumption. It’s recommended to pair it with a glass of Chardonnay and serve it with sour cherry preserve.

3) Purple Haze

Purple Haze is an American cheese produced in California by Cypress Grove. It dates back to the 1970s, when Mary Keehn found herself with excess goat milk and invented the cheese in the process. Nowadays, the milk is pasteurized in vats with coagulants and cultures, and the mix is then placed into a curd press to drain.

The curd is combined with salt and shaped into disks which are dusted with wild fennel pollen and lavender. Without aging, the cheeses are sent to markets where they can be sold and consumed. This aromatic, fresh, soft cheese has no rind, and its texture is crumbly, smooth, creamy, and spreadable.

4) Herbes de Provence Chevre

Herbes de Provence Chevre is an American semi-soft cheese hailing from Colorado, where it’s produced by Haystack Mountain Goat Dairy. The cheese is made from pasteurized goat’s milk and it’s shaped into logs that are coated in Herbes de Provence, a traditional French spice blend originating from Provence.

The texture of this rindless cheese is creamy and crumbly. The aromas are fresh and clean, while the flavors are mild and herbaceous. It’s recommended to serve the cheese with crusty bread and Kalamata olives.

5) Bijou

Bijou is an American cheese hailing from Vermont. The cheese is made from pasteurized goat’s milk and it’s left to age for 30 days. During the maturation period, Bijou (jewel in French) forms a wrinkly mold-ripened rind with a sweet and yeasty aroma.

Underneath it, the texture is smooth and creamy. The flavors are tangy, sharp, yeasty, clean, milky, and sweet, with hints of hazelnuts and flowers. It’s recommended to serve this small hand-shaped button of cheese with pickled cherries, pancetta, fig jam, and roasted hazelnuts.

6) Coupole

Coupole is an American cheese produced in Vermont by Vermont Creamery in Websterville. The cheese is made from goat’s milk and it’s shaped into a dome. The texture is creamy and dense, while the aromas and flavors are fresh, mild, and milky.

The wrinkled rind has a strong and intense aroma that makes the cheese stand out on a cheeseboard. Coupole is an award-winning cheese, including a silver medal at the 2011 World Cheese Awards. This unique cheese is named after its likeness to a snow-covered dome.

7) Stickney Hill Chevre

Stickney Hill Chevre is an American cheese hailing from Kimball, where it’s produced by Stickney Hill Dairy. The cheese is made from pasteurized goat’s milk and has a natural rind. Underneath the rind, the texture is semi-soft, spreadable, and crumbly.

The aromas are mild, lactic, and goaty, while the flavors range from mild and herbaceous to spicy, garlicky, and tangy. The cheese is made in a few varieties, most of them flavored with different ingredients, such as Tomato Basil Chevre, Garlic and Herb Chevre, Honey Chevre, Pumpkin Spice Chevre, and Cranberry Chevre.

 

8) Boulder Chevre

Boulder Chevre is an American cheese hailing from Colorado, where it’s produced by Haystack Mountain Goat Dairy. The cheese is made from pasteurized goat’s milk. This fresh chevre is rindless and has a texture that is crumbly, firm, and creamy.

The aromas are fresh and clean, while the flavors are grassy, tangy, and citrusy. Boulder Chevre is often crumbled over salads, pasta, and eggs. It’s also often used in sandwiches or cheesecakes.

 

9) Midnight Moon

Midnight Moon is a gouda-style cheese that’s produced in the Netherlands and sold under the Cypress Grove label in Arcata, California. The cheese is made from pasteurized goat’s milk and it’s left to age from 6 to 12 months before consumption.

Underneath its waxed rind, the texture is smooth, dense, grainy, and hard. The aromas are sweet and nutty, while the flavors are buttery, nutty, sweet, and savory with hints of butterscotch and caramel. It’s recommended to pair Midnight Moon with a glass of Zinfandel, Syrah, or sherry.

The cheese has won many awards, including a gold medal at the World Cheese Awards in 2014. Pair with Syrah, Sherry, Zinfandel.

10) Midnight Blue

Midnight Blue is an American semi-soft blue cheese originating from Colorado. Made from raw milk of Saneen, Alpine, and Nubian goats, the cheese has a dense and slightly dry texture and natural rind. The body is semi-soft and filled with blue veins, the aroma is goaty, while the flavors are spicy, peppery, pungent, and sharp.

This blue cheese is usually aged for 2 to 4 months. During that period, it develops its peppery flavors which get more accentuated as the cheese matures. It is recommended to pair Midnight Blue with wildflower honey and a glass of dry sherry.